One year ago Navy Lieutenant Brad Snyder’s last Afghanistan combat tour ended suddenly when an IED blasted shrapnel in his face. Now, the blind athlete is earning gold in the Paralympics. London officials awarded Snyder with two gold medal for the 100- and 400-meter freestyle.

(Snyder) “Coming out in front of a crowd this size is pretty daunting. I kind of underestimated that, I think, a little bit. But we were able to…once I hit the water, felt really comfortable.”

Following his accident, Snyder received about 30 stitches and began recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The blind Lieutenant says his disability brings new meaning to the words he repeated so often in the Navy: “Honor.” “Courage.” And “Commitment.”